Due to Easton's Illness, Coast of Utopia Delays Opening to 11/27

Lincoln Center Theater has announced that the opening night of "Voyage," the first part of its new production of Tom Stoppard's trilogy The Coast of Utopia, has been rescheduled to November 27 at the Vivian Beaumont Theater. This first installment of Stoppard's trilogy, directed by Jack O'Brien, was originally scheduled to open three weeks earlier, on November 5.

The change in the opening night date was made to allow leading cast member Richard Easton, who plays Russian landowner Alexander Bakunin, the appropriate amount of time to recover from a procedure he received earlier this week to correct a heart arrhythmia. Easton, who played the first preview of the production on October 17, became ill during the following night's performance. He is expected to return to the production within the next two weeks. His understudy, David Manis, has been performing the role of Alexander Bakunin since October 19 and will continue in that role until Easton's return. Easton reportedly has a major role in "Voyage" but not as much stage time in the final two parts of the trilogy.

The Coast of Utopia features a cast of 44 also headed by Billy Crudup, Jennifer Ehle, Josh Hamilton, David Harbour, Jason Butler Harner, Ethan Hawke, Amy Irving, Brían F. O'Byrne and Martha Plimpton.

The schedule for the second and third parts of the trilogy will remain unchanged. Part Two, "Shipwreck," will begin performances on December 6 and open on December 21. Part Three, "Salvage," will begin performances on January 30, 2007, and open on February 15. The Coast of Utopia is scheduled to run through March 10.